CTA promises more police after feds' funding threat
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The CTA is promising to double police presence on trains and buses after the federal government threatened to cut funding.
Driving the news: The CTA has submitted a new plan to the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) after the FTA rejected a December submission and set a March 19 deadline.
Context: A man with more than 70 prior arrests set a woman on fire on the Blue Line last year, garnering national headlines and the attention of President Trump.
- FTA threatened to withhold $50 million if CTA didn't improve safety metrics.
Zoom in: This plan, created in conjunction with the Chicago Police Department, commits to 75% more monthly policing hours on the CTA, including more than 30% from CPD's Public Transit team.
- Also, double the off-duty officers patrolling on their days off.
State of play: The changes will supplement what CTA has already implemented, including officers inspecting trains at high-incident stations and patrolling buses with the highest reported crime.
- CTA also funds outreach teams on the Blue and Red lines (24-hour service) to connect unhoused riders with shelter, housing and social services, saying more than 300 people have been placed in shelter since 2023.
- In 2026, CTA is funding 30 dedicated shelter beds — a five-fold increase — with $1.65 million in allocated funding.
What they're saying: "CTA is also expanding social service support, from introducing mental health teams to funding shelter beds for the unhoused and investing in technology that supports the officers that patrol the system," acting president Nora Leerhsen said in a statement.
- "The January and February results from CTA and CPD's joint security surge have been promising, and we've built on that momentum by creating a sustainable security model that puts people first."
Zoom out: Violent crime rose on the CTA last year, the Sun-Times reported, even as it declined citywide.
What's next: FTA must review the new plan. Axios has reached out for comment.